We are nearing the end of Winter. If you are like me, you have had enough of cold, snow and dreary days. But what is worse, your 20 square feet of skin is tired of it too. Here are some hints for getting your skin in top shape for summer.

1) Avoid Skincare Ingredients that Dry Your Skin

Our skin has different care issues in Winter than it does in Summer. But the consistent issue in both seasons is hydration. Using a skin care product that has ingredients that dry your skin is the first thing to stop. If a product contains alcohol, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, or fragrances and preservatives, these can be extremely drying. For best results, replace these products with other non-drying products. Also, some soaps contain ingredients that seem to sap the life out of skin. Virtue Skinfood Face Bar uses Olive Oil and Goats Milk as the two main ingredients. The milk has natural lactic acid that hydrates and exfoliates.

2) Hydrate to Manage Weather Extremes

The only way to hydrate your skin is from the inside out. So make sure to drink water to hydrate. During the summer it is easier to remember to drink fluids because of the heat. But the winter can be even more dehydrating to the body. Indoor heating systems can pull the moisture from the air. Outdoors can be even more drying with ice and snow storms, wind chill, and transitioning from outdoors cold, to indoors warm. If the heating system in your home includes a humidifier, turn it on. Or invest in a good mobile humidifier and place it in the main living areas, especially the bedroom.

3) Protect Skin with Oil-based Products

Choose products that protect skin from hydration loss. Most moisturizers contain up to 80% water. Initially, rubbing a body or hand lotion onto skin can feel great. But it isn’t a long term solution, because the water doesn’t penetrate but evaporates from the skin. Invest in oil-based skin care. The oil creates a protective layer on the skin that retains more moisture than a cream or lotion. Try Body Butter, Hand Healer & FaceFood to protect skin and provide the vitamins and minerals to put skin in a state of healing. Lucious Lips provides advanced protection for the lips. All products are 100% oil based.

4) Maintain Vitamin D Levels

It is easy to have your vitamin-d levels tested. Contact your doctor, and find out yours. Then consider an oral supplement or using a tanning bed to maintain Vitamin D. UVA/UVB rays are very controversial but the fact is, our bodies need Vitamin D, especially our skin, or we start having serious health and skin issues. Dr. Mercola provides an in-depth science based view on using a tanning bed. Dr Tami also provides a detailed suggestions for determining if you are deficient and for using oral vitamin-d. I prefer a combination of both oral Vitamin D AND a low magnetic ballistic tanning bed to keep my Vitamin D levels in range. I place a towel over my face to protect my delicate facial skin, and lay in the bed nude for maximum Vitamin D absorption. Consult your health provider to determine a plan that suits your needs.

5) Take a Break from Hot Water

After feeling chilled from the onslaught of inclement Winter weather, it is easy to hop into a hot shower or bath for a long hot soak, but you aren’t doing your skin any favors. You are better off with warm water and short duration. Hot water breaks down the lipid barrier and causes the skin to lose moisture making the dry skin situation worse. If you need to enjoy a burst of warmth, look into investing in an infrared sauna or visiting one at a spa. The heat penetrates the skin at a deeper level, improving circulation to the skin and helping to remove waste from the body in a more effective way with sweating.

6) Re-Mineralize Your Skin

Getting minerals into the skin provides the most effective healing. The easiest way is to soak your entire body, or alternatively just your feet, in Epsom salts in tepid warm water (not hot as discussed in #5). Using Epsom salt baths is a simple yet advanced detoxification strategy that has remarkable health benefits. The Magnesium in the Epsom Salt plays a critical role in skin, by improving muscle and nerve function, reducing inflammation, improving blood flow or oxygenation throughout the body. Epsom salts replenish the body’s magnesium levels”. Most of us are Magnesium deficient. Here is a “how to” take an Epsom Salt bath.